1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to devices for automatically adjusting stimulating pulses provided to medical treatment induction coils.
2. Prior art
The treatment of the human body by means of magnetic field has enjoyed a long and varied history. One current accepted medical treatment involving induction coils is the assistance in healing of broken bones by the induction of a current across the break through use of a magnetic field passing through the body.
One common configuration for such treatment is to arrange a pair of coils in a Helmholtz relation on opposite sides of the body, so that they are in a flux-aiding relationship. For example, a pair of coils is mounted on a cast on opposite sides of a leg in order to treat a fracture of the tibia.
The size of the coil and the magnitude of the pulsed electrical energy provided to the coils depend upon the size of the bone being treated and the volume of human tissue which surrounds the bone and lies between treatment coils. For example, the coils used in treating a tibia fracture would naturally be larger than those used on the wrist.
In the prior art, the fitting of treatment coils involved custom design of a system for each patient. Coils would be selected and energy provided in a manner which would maximize treatment for the patient. This, of course, is a laborious process which involves initial visits for fitting and later visits for installation of the coils. The physician fitting the coils must take measurements and have a system custom designed.
What is needed in the art is a system which can automatically adjust the electrical energy provided to the coils so that therapy will be maximized.